I don't think we will ever see the days of Europe on $5/day again, but then again, gone are also the days when a trip to Europe from the U.S. was only for the wealthy!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/05/08....ap/index.html

I considered myself very lucky that I got to see Europe for about $50/day!! Do you think that still can be the case?

Comparisons between dollar amounts are meaningless. The things to contrast are the "number of hours worked" required to buy things today and back in the day.

Take gasoline, for example. When my dad was working as a radio announcer for $35 a week, a gallon of regular cost 25¢. So it cost him half a day's wages, more or less, to fill the tank on his '39 Dodge.

Today, with Premium at $3.00, it takes me a few minutes' work to fill up.

I think my first book on travel was Europe on $25 a Day. That was for my first trip to Europe in 1983. I don't remember if it worked out to that amount, but I'm sure I went over a little.

Depends what is covered in your "a day" figure. Does the $50USD need to pay for a place to sleep, local transportation, admissions, food, train tickets, everything?

I have Europe on $5/Day - Arthur Frommers tome on budget European travel on my bookshelf.

I have notes from my first trip in 1969 where i was spending a whopping $3 a day or so - not including transportation which was by youth eurailpass - $3 total for hostel, food, etc. Incredible - the dollar was so strong - over 4 marks to the greenback.

I used that book too! We lived pretty well on that $5 a day. A Käseomelet was 3 Marks (75 cents then), and a nice Schnitzel was around 5 or 6 Marks ($1.25 to $1.50). I can't remember what wine cost (didn't drink it then), but a glass of tea with lemon was 70 Pfennig---about 20 cents. And it came in a little pot with a glass mug.

I can tell you that wine was about 50 cents a bottle - fairly good stuff though you could get swill cheaper. And French Valstar (sp?) beer in big bottles was almost free.

That was my first "tour" book. Amazing to think about it!!

Based on cost of living calculator...

http://www.aier.org/research/col.php

$5 in 1957 = $36.12 in 2007.

Not final answer..but a step towards it...

I travelled to Europe in 1964 using this book,sailed to Copenhagen and returned sailing from Amsterdam for 200.00 and used a Eurail pass to get around, sleeping on night trains to save money. I went with a friend, we used the book for everything, took almost $1000.00 in TC's each for 4 months and returned with money!! We weren't wealthy, just young nurses making $275.00 a month who saved for a year to get the money.
Oh to be young and foolish like that again.

Chevy II Nova (entry level vehicle about = to Honda Civic), new in 1962, =$2,010

Similar nowadays, $20,000

Summer 1960 job zoo animalkeeper $1.25/
hour
Googled today: $10-$14/hour

Moral: times 10

The $5/day was meant to cover food and lodging only. For my trip in 1966, the average lodging cost for the 21 nights on the continent was $2.66/night. For the 9 nights in the UK, it was 25 shillings. I did not make a note of the exchange rate. The averages do not include the nights spent sitting up in 2nd class carriages on trains, another money saver suggested by the book.

Air fare to Europe, however, cost me $420, about 4 weeks pay for a recent university graduate.

Wow, the Europe on $5 per day brings back fond memories when we did it the summer of 1973. I still remember not being able to sit at sidewalk cafes whenever we wanted or leaving Vienna after a day because it blew our budget. When I go to Europe now and can do whatever I want, I appreciate it much more because of those $5 days.

P.S We flew Icelandic from NY to Luxembourg with a refueling stop in Rykeveck (sp)because it was the cheapest. Im sure many others on here did the same.

1967:

A bowl of minestrone in Rome: 8 cents
A plate of fritto misto in Florence: $1.00
A beautiful wool coat from Carnaby Street in London: $19.00

Being able to experience Europe at the age of 20: Priceless!

We did Europe for the first time in 1970-71 while I was in the Army in Germany.

The dollar was around 4 to 1 on the mark but was declining in late 71.

We found zimmer freis that were great for under $5.00 per night.

We went to 5 plays in 5 nights in London for around $5 to $7 per ticket.
Saw HAIR and saw Michael Crawford of PHANTOM fame in a stupid comedy as a young actor.

Our room near Hyde Park was around $10 per night compliments of the USO for soldiers.

Yep! They were the good ole days and we did not know it. Trouble was....I was only making $235.00 per month in the Army! I think I will take today's trips.

This is a trip down memory lane. During a summer break from college in 1965 I sailed to Europe with my 2 sisters. My eldest sister bought a VW bug and off we went for 8 weeks. We each had $400. We slept in nice hotels and ate great meals. Also we bought a lot of great gifts. One night we stayed in a beautiful villa on the Italian R. It was $3.00 a night for the 3 of us, with bath, and with breakfast, and what a view. Also no reservations any where and no crowds. It was fab and I am so happy that I was given such a great oportunity by my dad. He instilled in me a great love of travel and adventure. This summer my DH and I are off to Greece and although Greece is not as expensive as other countries, it is not $5.00 a day.

The article about $5 a day was in our Sunday paper. A college friend and I did it in 66. With $2 rrooms in Zimmer freis, b&bs, buying dinner at the grocery store and eating a light lunch, we were able to sleep, eat, and see a couple of museums a day for $5 a day. A couple of weeks ago we were visiting and looking at my photos and scrapbook and remarking how magical that trip seemed and also how grateful we are to be able to eat some regular meals and sleep in a room with our own bath these days.

Robespierre, you mentioned being able to fill your tank at $3 a gallon for just a few minutes of work. At $30 to fill up a tank, what job do you have that makes that kind of money? That probably sounds rude, Sorry, not meant to be, just curious.

Although we had Frommers $5/day book with us on my first grand tour in 1977- the book was a year old and had been replaced by a $10/day version. I recall I spent $800 (less travel costs)over 6 weeks on the continent and the UK. I was thinking lately about how different life seemed in Europe vs the US then as opposed to now- or maybe I have become too familiar with Europe after 30 years of travel(?)

Rick

I was just looking at my 78-79 '$10 a day' copy yesterday. I would use the price on the cov er as a guide to my expenses. I would double that number and use it for a guide for everything - not just fod and lodging. But then I was cycling and had no transportation cost.

One thing that has not gone up much is air fare. I remember being glad to get airfare from Phoenix to Frankfurt for just under $1000 in 1987 - 13 yrs alter, I got fare to London for $600.